Pecan and Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Recently, I read somewhere that 2008 was a big year for salted caramel. I don’t think I’m in any position to agree or disagree with that, but I will say that I had a little love affair with it myself. (Hello, salted caramel hot chocolate!)

This cheesecake is a prime example of salted caramel at its finest. I actually found the recipe while looking for something else. Of course, once I found this I was immediately so smitten that whatever I was looking for was quickly forgotten.
I’m not a big fan of candy-making, and that includes making caramel. It’s all too temperamental for me, and I’m much too temperamental for it. Luckily, I can usually talk Quinn into doing these kinds of things. So, he was responsible for that portion while I made the cheesecake.

On its own, there is nothing exceptional about the cheesecake. The difference is the caramel. The salt portion is sprinkled on top, so you can use as little or as much as you like. Keep in mind whether or not the pecans are salted when adding the sea salt. I used unsalted, so I added a little extra salt for our tastes.

Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Press into the bottom of prepared pan. Set aside.

To make the filling:

Mix cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until light, airy, and smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing completely after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix until blended.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean and the center of the cheesecake is just set. Turn off the oven, leave door slightly ajar, and let cheesecake cool completely.

To make the caramel:

Stir together sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Let boil until amber in color, about 3 minutes. Immediately stir in butter. Remove from heat and stir in cream. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

MMmmm…carmel. The cheesecake ingredients sound like it will be just the way I like cheesecake…very dense. I’m with you on the carmel-making…ask someone to help…actually this recipe looks a little more success-oriented than most others …thanks for sharing!

While I love caramel and salt together, but it has to be really simple like your cheesecake. I recently shared some smoked salt caramels with a friend from a smallish mass-produced retailer and I wasn’t impressed.

I’m not sure if you’ve see it yet, but I found a salted dark chocolate candy bar at Cost Plus World Market recently that was really good. I want to play with that flavor combination soon.

I know you’re probably over hearing folks gush over your photos but… sigh. Your photos are so exquisite! I wish I could take lessons from you. Bravo!

Truly, I have never seen a more luscious dessert photo than the one leading this post. If that doesn’t sell you on trying this recipe, or at least the caramel portion of it, I don’t know what would! My mouth is watering.

Oh, your opening picture is tantalizing! I’d like to crawl into your cake and pull that blanket of caramel right up over me. I recently had my own delicious encounter with salted caramel in the form of salted caramel ice cream. Loved that combination of sweet and salty!

Hi! I just found your website. Oh happy day! I think the first recipe I’ll try is the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Biscotti cookies. They sound so good, plus I love cinnamon. Love it. My question: What are the Cinnamon Chips you ordered like? Are they just tiny cinnamony crunchies, or are they chocolate covered cinnamony crunchies? Would you put them in an apple pie? (The pie you did with the leaf cut-outs looks amazing!)

Another question. I was reading your post on Martha Stewart’s Crumb Cake and like, a, where is the recipe? Looked high and low on the page and no luck. I have to say with Martha’s recipes it’s a hit and miss for me too. Either they’re great or awful or someone didn’t reread the recipe and left something out or wrote 2 TBL when it should have been 2 tsp. Not a good thing, Martha.

Hey girl, I made the cheesecake tonight–it is cooling as we speak. I think I may have over cooked the caramel, but as soon as it is cooled a little I’ll taste it–if it’s burnt, I have enough cream for another go at it.

Mmmm. Yum. I went to graduate school in Texas and worked in New Orleans for a long time. Pecans were an everyday part of my life (or so it seemed). I love New Orleans and I love chocolate too! I had a friend in grad school who shared my love of chocolate. Whenever I make chocolate cheesecake, I always smile as I remember New Orleans those times together. Here’s my friends’ recipe for the most delicious chocolate amaretto cheesecake, hope you enjoy it: http://www.fivehens.com/chocolate-memories/

I made this for Christmas using my own cheesecake recipe with a brown sugar graham cracker crusts It was beautiful and delicious. The caramel sauce was easy to make and I have already received requests to make it again. Love this!!

I was so excited to see this recipe. I am making it right now and although i was concerned about the short cooking time, i went ahead as instructed and assumed carry over time must aid in finishing cooking. After 40 minutes, my cheesecake is nowhere near set.

Hi, Serena. Cheesecakes generally freeze really well, so you shouldn’t have a problem. If you have the time to make the caramel fresh before serving it, I think that would be better. But it will likely freeze fine with the caramel. I would suggest that you wait to garnish until you’re ready to serve.